Your Heart Is Alive
by FindGallifrey
Summary: (The aftermath of Caroline sleeping with Klaus) Caroline Forbes finds herself inable to tolerate Mystic Falls anymore, so in a spur of the moment decision, she books a flight to New Orleans. Caroline struggles with her feelings for Klaus and his pregnant werewolf, Hayley, and the backlash from her friends.
1. Chapter 1

Caroline couldn't stop thinking about it. She would wake up in the middle of the night, clutching her sweat stained sheets. Only to collapse back against her pillow, disappointment filling her.

Apparently the thing with scandalous sex is that you only seem to want more of it after you've had it. Oh, and the guilt, which was really starting to become overwhelming. Especially being a vampire.

Caroline tries to go through the motions, going to her classes, studying, but she can't forget it. She can't handle the guilt. She clutches her pencil so hard it snaps while she's studying. She sighs, defeated, picking up her cellphone.

"Hey Elena! Just wondering if you were up for some girl time? Those Salvatores are probably driving you crazy - plus since Katherine is dead and gone, I think it's about time we actually enjoyed ourselves." Caroline says in her usual chipper voice.

_"Uh, yeah, that sounds great... Care. See you in a bit?"_

"Okay, I'll be over." Caroline hangs up the phone, the smile immediately falling off her face.

* * *

She walks into the Grill and for one delirious moment, she thought he might be there. Taunting her and offering her drinks with his seductive smirk and a curl of his fingers. No, no Klaus.

She spots Elena in a both, she hurries over there, "So you will not believe the day I've been having."

Elena looks up at Caroline, away from stirring her drink, "I figured, with Tyler coming back and all. Did you guys get back together?"

Caroline's cheeks heat up when she realizes she had completely forgotten, "Well no-, you see, I've been kind of, uh, been avoiding him. Since he chose Klaus over me, a girl tends to hold a grudge."

_"Would you offer me the same choice?"_

Her insides clench up when she hears his voice in her head.

"You should talk to him, Care. He cares a lot about you."

Caroline shakes her head, "Okay, totally not the reason I asked you to come. Just, uh. Was curious, about how you were doing? With this whole Katherine being dead stuff.. must be intense."

"To have a woman who terrorized me and killed most of my family and turned you into a vampire dead? I actually am completely cool with that. I love it. I love Katherine being dead. One less headache." As Elena says this, she had grabbed her glass cup, when she finishes her sentence, the glasses shatters in her hand.

"Elena!"

Elena realizes what she's done, scrapping the glass off of her hands, "I'm sorry, I've just been kind of.. on edge."

"I can tell." Caroline says, "Come on, lets go outside, people are staring."

Elena obliges easily, following Caroline outside. "Enough about me, please." Elena dryly laughs, "Tell me about you, anything spicy happening in Caroline Forbes's life?"

"Actually, now that you mention it." Caroline suddenly flips around to face Elena, "Uh, please, don't be mad at me, you promise? Pretty please?"

Elena tilts her head, a questioning look on her face, "What did you do Caroline?" She asks slowly, folding her arms over her chest.

"So you know how I've been feeling kind of lonely since Tyler left me? But I'm totally over it now, right? So uh, when Katherine was dying, Klaus sort of dropped by to, you know, dance on her grave and all of that - but instead we kind of-"

"Don't say what I think you're going to say."

"Kind of slept together?" Caroline says slowly, a pained expression on her face.

"Caroline!"

"What! I couldn't really help it-"

"That's so gross! He killed Tyler's Mom!"

"I'm fully aware of that, Elena!" Caroline snaps at her, "You have no right to be mad at me! You were just sleeping with the guy who abused and.. _raped_ me, speaking of, I still have yet to get an apology for that! So don't talk to me about my taste in guys!"

Elena growls at her, "Caroline that is completely different!"

"How so?! They're both bad guys, but they're better now, okay? So.. just.. give him a chance." Caroline pauses to breathe, her voice gets really quiet, "It's not like it matters, he's never coming back to Mystic Falls."

Elena looks at her confused, "Really?"

"Really. He promised me."

"You trust a sociopathic hybrid?"

"Yes, I actually do."

Elena nods, running a hand through her dark hair, "It's just.. I figured there was something going on between you guys... I just didn't think.." She pauses again, "That it would get to this point."

Caroline looks at her sadly, "It's just, I..."

"Have you told anyone else this?"

"No, just you."

"Might want to keep it that way. I have to go." Elena says as she walks away from her.

Caroline watches as she goes, and she makes a choice.

* * *

She packs her bags, throwing everything she can into the small luggage bag.

_"Small town life, it would never be enough for you."_

_"Come with me to New Orleans."_

She wipes her eyes as she packs, she takes out her phone and books a flight. For New Orleans.

Does she feel terrible for leaving them for some fling with an all-mighty Hybrid? Of course. After seeing Elena's reaction today though, Caroline is certain they'd never accept her again. She compels her way out of College, though she ensures that her Mother doesn't know she's not attending anymore.

She couldn't say goodbye to her Mom, especially over a guy.

Right as she's about to leave, there's a knock at her door. She walks down her stairs and sees Tyler through the window. She's about to go back up the stairs but she hears his voice.

"I can see you, Care."

She walks over to the door, opening it angrily, "What do you want, Tyler?"

"I want to talk."

"Too bad." Caroline's about to shut the door but he stops the door. "Tyler, really, I'm not doing this."

"Doing what?"

"I'm not going to let you turn me into some lovesick idiot that just hangs around Mystic Falls all day waiting for you to return. I'm not a dog, Tyler. I'm a breathing, living, being. I don't want to wait for you anymore." Caroline growls at him.

Tyler raises his eyebrows at her, "Is that really how you feel, Care?"

"Yes, that is _really how I feel_." Caroline snaps, "Now if you'll do me a favor, you'll turn around and you'll crawl back into whatever hole you've been hiding in for the last year."

"It can't end like this."

"Weird because when I said, if you take one more step we're over, you really liked _that _ending. At least save me the trouble this time, Tyler. I'm doing waiting for you, and I don't want to wait ever again. So, we're over. Again." Caroline then slams the door this time.

"You don't mean that, Care!"

Caroline opens the door because she just wants to throw it into his face so badly, "Yes, I do mean that. I'm leaving Mystic Falls, I'm going to travel the world. I've done enough sitting around, there's a world out there. This whole thing, small town life, it isn't enough for me."

Tyler recognizes the words and he furrows his brow, "Care? You're not going to.."

"Travel the world with Klaus?"

".. Yeah"

"Yes, I am. Because he chose me." Caroline slams the door in his face. She leans against the door with a smile. At last, she had gotten the closure she needed. She bolts back up the stairs, packing with an even bigger fury than before.

Caroline throws her luggage into her car, slamming the trunk down. She looks up at her house. The old house she had grown up in. Now she was going to leave it behind, the old rusty plumbing and the overwhelming amount of white.

She climbs into the driver's seat and drives out of town. She doesn't say goodbye. She has no time for goodbyes. She leaves a voicemail for Bonnie instead.

"So hey Bonnie, it's me, Caroline." Caroline laughs dryly, "If that isn't obvious. I'm kind of doing a spur of the moment thing, so uh, don't look for me? God that sounds shady, I just, I need to take a breather, from Mystic Falls. It's not because of you or anything, it's just, uh, wow this is harder than I thought." Caroline laughs again, taking in a deep breath, "I love you, okay? I just need some time for myself right now."

She hangs up the phone quickly as she passes the 'YOU ARE NOW EXITING MYSTIC FALLS' sign. She gets to the airport in record time, probably due to her speeding. She was worried she'd lose her nerve as they scanned her passport.

She climbed into the airplane, setting herself down on one of the seats.

"I'm actually doing this." She notes quietly to herself, glancing over at the other sleeping passengers, "This is actually happening."

Watch out New Orleans.


	2. Chapter 2: Sophie

Caroline fidgeted in her airplane seat, carelessly scratching at her wrists, nervous. She was about to lose her nerve and dive out of the plan. She had to be mad. This entire plan was mad. What was she going to say to him, 'hey I really like you and I'm sorry I've been kind of a bitch but I'm here now due to the ridicule from my friends?' That didn't exactly seem like a good conversation starter. Plus, what if his life was already started? What if he had a bunch of things going on in New Orleans and she was just.. intruding?

The plane lands and she hadn't realized she'd fallen asleep. She gets up quickly, grabbing her bag and heading for the doors. She's about to book another flight back to Mystic Falls but thinks otherwise when she checks her phone. 3 missed calls from Elena. 5 missed calls from Stefan. 2 from Bonnie. None from Damon but that just wasn't surprising.

She glances around the busy airport and walks up to the clerk, "Where can I rent a car?"

"There's a lot only a few blocks from here." The Clerk says with her rosy cheek and toothy smile, "Thanks for flying with us. Enjoy your stay in New Orleans." Caroline smiles back at her and walks outside. The New Orleans air is cold against her skin, so she pulls her cardigan tighter around her. She bolts down the street with her vamp speed, not even catching an eye. She stands in front of the rental car business.

_Must be 22+ to rent a car_.

Caroline groans, "Are you kidding me?" Then she smiles when she realizes she has something other 19 year olds do not have, compulsion! Yes! She walks in and the clerk looks up, she compels him, "Give me the nicest sleekest car you have. Preferably black."

He turns around, memorized as he ruffles through the keys, he hands her one of them in a daze, "Charger, m'am, is that all right with you?"

Caroline beams, taking the car keys, "Perfect!"

* * *

She pops open the trunk, tossing in her luggage. She glances up at the cold New Orleans sun as she climbs into the drivers seat. She starts up the car, it happily hums beneath her and she tears out. She drives around New Orleans for a bit and realizes she has no fucking idea where to go. She has no idea where he is. The idea to run back home is getting overwhelming at this point. She pulls over in front of a cafe, climbing out. Caroline walks inside of the cafe, alight with various candles and soft bubbles of light. It looks like something straight out of a movie. The smell of coffee is in the air, she beams. She walks up to the clerk and orders a pumpkin spice coffee. They hand it to her in a red cup and she seats herself.

Suddenly a woman comes in, looking absolutely ravaged. She walks up to the clerk, "Please, black coffee, strongest you've got." She says through her gap. She takes her coffee and spots Caroline, confuse lighting up her face. She starts walking towards Caroline and Caroline resists the urge to get up and bolt. "Never seen you around before." The woman with the gap says as she sits down at Caroline's table, across from her.

"Just passing through." Caroline says with a smile, "Probably not staying. As good as this coffee is, not enough to keep me here." She lightly jokes, "Uh, I'm Caroline." She holds her hand out.

The woman takes her hand, shaking it with her own, "Sophie. Why are you here, Caroline?"

"Thought I was going to see an.. old friend.. kind of an impulse thing, you know? Might not have been my best idea." Caroline shrugs, leaning back in the chair, "I don't usually do this kind of thing."

"What kind of thing?"

"Follow my impulses." Caroline chuckles, sitting back up, "It's exciting though. This city is just overflowing with culture and spirit."

"What do you mean by spirit?" Sophie asks, suddenly leaning closer.

Caroline shrugs, not noting the sudden change in posture, "I don't know, all these people, they seem so happy to be here. Seems like a nice place to live. How long have you been here?"

"Uh, not sure. Probably all my life, maybe?" Sophie makes a rough guess, "Who are you visiting? Or, uh, not visiting?"

"You probably wouldn't know him." Caroline confesses, her cheeks flushing.

"So it's a boy?" Sophie says with a smile, "Always a boy, huh?"

Caroline glances down at her coffee, unable to hide her own smile, "Guess you could say that. We're not really.. dating, ya know? It's.. really complicated."

"One of those relationships, he can't commit?"

"Oh no, that's the problem. I can't." Caroline admits defeatedly.

"Why not?" Sophie presses.

"He's.. he's a bad boy, I guess you could say. All of my friends hate him, and I should hate him too.. but I don't. So it's super confusing." Caroline shakes her head, "Just, frustrating!"

Sophie smiles, "If this guy is as great as he seems, ready to commit and all of that, you shouldn't care what your friends think. It's about what you want in the end. Just you. No matter how 'dark' or whatever this guy is. He isn't some serial killer is he?"

Caroline's eyes widen for a fraction of a second. _Oh my god, I like a serial killer! I slept with a serial killer!_ Seems to run through her head.

"That's a joke, by the way, you're supposed to laugh. That's what people are supposed to do when a joke is told." Sophie says, not noticing Caroline's sudden change.

Caroline dryly laughs, "Yep, jokes, laugh, got it." She says, letting out the breath of air she'd been holding, "Anyways, I should probably hit the road, long drive home."

Sophie nods, "It was nice to meet you Caroline."

"You too." Caroline says with a smile.

* * *

Caroline doesn't climb back into the car like she had planned. She glances down empty alleyways, looking for any evidence of vampire activity. That seemed like a good start, right? She spots a black man and someone who seemed like one of his henchmen corner some witch in an alley. Caroline hangs back, watching them. Suddenly, he snaps the witch's neck.

Caroline turns around, her back against the cold brick wall, wishing she hadn't seen that. She follows them for a few blocks and then gathers the courage to go up to them.

"Um, excuse me?" She says lightly.

They both turn around to look at her, the black man seems pleased, his eyebrow jumping, "What's a pretty thing like you doing in New Orleans?"

Caroline takes a small step towards them, "Uh, I'm actually looking for someone. Might have heard of him? Klaus? Klaus Mikaelson?" She asks cautiously, "He's an Original if that helps at all?"

They turn to smile at each other. The black man speaks first, "Ah, ol' Klaus. Yeah, I know exactly where he is. Could take you right to him if you want. Name's Marcel by the way. Don't worry about his name." He dismisses the henchmen easily.

Caroline watches the henchmen leave with fear in the pit of her stomach, "You know what, I think I actually know where he is, so don't worry about ol' me. I've got it. He's actually coming, right now, to meet me." She lies quickly, taking a step back.

"Is that so?" Marcel asks, closing the space when he's right behind her. She flips around, startled. "Because last I checked, he's on the run, from me and my guys."

"And that's how I know you're lying, because Klaus doesn't run." Caroline snaps at him, anger suddenly filling her at the idea.

"So you do know him." Marcel says, "Come on then." He says, walking away from her.

Caroline scrambles after him, "Where are you taking me? Lets get that straight first."

"Our compound. Where all of my guys live, and Klaus. Recently, of course." Marcel says, walking through various alleyways, "You didn't tell me your name, by the way."

"Caroline, Caroline Forbes." Caroline says, "Probably haven't heard of me."

"You're the girl from the drawings."

Caroline's cheeks flush, "Drawings?"

"Klaus has little doodles in his sketchpad, don't tell him I told you." Marcel puts a finger up against his lips, "It'll be our little secret."

Caroline gives him a shy frightened smile. She could tell just by the way he held himself that he was cocky, arrogant, and not one to be messed with. He seemed calculating, cold, almost like a little Klaus.

They arrive at the Compound in record time. She glances up to see it's similar to an Mansion except wrapped around a square. She gaps, glancing around in wonder. No wonder Klaus didn't go to Mystic Falls anymore. Then she felt the same fear in her stomach before. This was an impulse. He did have an entire life here.

Then, as she turns to Marcel, the world goes black, and she hears a crack, the snapping of her neck.


	3. Chapter 3: Marcel

Caroline woke up with such a headache that could only be understood if you've ever had your own neck snapped before. So pain, lots and lots of pain. She slowly recovered, pulling herself up to see she was in a chamber. She stands up, glancing around, "Hello?" She calls wearily, feeling the blood withdrawals already beginning. She glances up to see Marcel open the door and lock the door right when he steps in.

"Good morning. You look hungry, here." Marcel tosses her a blood bag and she catches it, "Not the best first meeting. Went pretty well in the beginning though, huh? Really had you going. You really put all of your trust in the wrong places. Looking for Klaus? Really? Are you also pregnant with some hybrid baby too?"

Caroline raises an eyebrow at him as she opens the blood bag, trying not to look weak, even though she was starving, her curosity got the better of her "Hybrid baby? What are you talking about?"

Marcel makes an excited noise, "Oh, so you don't even know. Great, I'm happy I get to break it to you. See, this girl, her name's Hayley, she's pregnant with Klaus's baby. Whole baby mama deal going on, though she's got the hots for Elijah, pretty dramatic if you ask me."

Caroline goes silent, finally spitting out, "Klaus has a baby on the way?" Caroline asks, feeling her heart drop, though she hates herself for it.

"Yep, going to make the baby his little prince slash princess of New Orleans or some weird ancient shit like that." Marcel sits down on her makeshift bed, "Enough about that. That's not why you're here. Now, I need you to tell me everything you know about Klaus. Specifically, how to kill him."

"Uh, I'm sure he's enlightened you to the fact a few million times, you can't kill an original." Caroline says matter-of-factly. "You could dagger him and leave him to rot for a few centuries, but he has those daggers under lock and key, with Rebekah and Elijah's names printed on them. Plus, you probably have some kind of creepy death wish if you are trying to kill an Original."

Marcel sighs, leaning against the walls, "Then you're useless, huh?"

"Yes, entirely useless, no use here. None at all! Sorry, I have better things to do. I just don't piss off Originals regularly, like you do. He'll probably rip out your heart when he hears about this."" Caroline says convincingly.

Marcel scratches his jaw, "Oh will he? So that doesn't make you entirely useless, does it? Now tell me, Caroline, why a pretty little girl like you comes to New Orleans, looking for an Original, of all people?"

Caroline gets nervous, a ball growing in her throat, "I'm not looking for an Original."

"Rightttt." Marcel chuckles, "You actually expect me to believe that?"

"Yes, because that's the truth."

"So, if I loosely mentioned that I had you in captivity, Klaus wouldn't give up those daggers to save you? Is that what you're telling me?" Marcel prods.

"Yes." She cringes.

"Well, enjoy your stay then." Marcel says, standing up and leaving the room.

"Hey! You can't just leave me here!" Caroline tries to flash towards the door but it slams in her face, "Damn it!"

* * *

Marcel finds Klaus quickly, "Hey old friend." He says with a smile, "Speaking of old friends, you have any you forgot to tell me about?"

"Not that I'm aware of, why?" Klaus asks, sketching on his sketchpad on his leather couch. He glances up at Marcel, "Marcel, lets not beat around the bush. You know how much I despise games."

"Caroline Forbes. Sound familiar? Pretty little blonde thing, quite a temper. Wears pretty sundresses?"

Klaus freezes, his pen snapping in his hand, "What about her, Marcel, are you trying to tell me?"

Marcel sits down across from Klaus in the parallel couch, "I ran into her. Very pretty. Didn't know blondes were your type, but I sort of did, considering Cami and all. Strange how much they look alike. You didn't even tell her you had a baby on the way, not the best way to score points with the ladies, ya know."

Klaus leans forward, ignoring his jab about the baby, setting the sketchbook aside, "If Caroline is in any danger, any danger at all. If there's so much as a piece of hair missing - I'll rip out your liver right here and now. Then I'll kill the entire French Quarter and paint your grave with their blood."

Marcel leans back in the couch, "Ouuuch! Daddy's got a temper! Let's hope little junior doesn't get on the bad side of that. Don't want to have to kill your own kid would ya? But if you did do that, then you'd never know where she was, would you?"

"Tell me. Save us the trouble of doing this dance, Marcel. Save me the trouble of having to murder every person that's ever spoken to you. That lovely old lady at the grocery store, the hot dog vendor, Cami.." Klaus glares at him.

"Give me the daggers and you can have her. Easy as that. Quick trade. I give you her location, you run in on your white horse and save the day." Marcel stretches his arms out, "Seems fair."

"There's absolutely no way I'll give you the one thing that can keep me still for centuries. So keep dreaming that fickle dream, Marcel, because it'll never happen, no matter who you have in your captivity." Klaus growls, "How about I offer you a carter bargain? Not much of a bargain, more of a threat. Give me her or I kill Dephina. Recall that _I _only know where she is."

Marcel's eyes widen, "You told me she escaped."

"But then I caught her. Strange how that works. Young witches don't run that fast."

"You're lying."

"You wish I was." Klaus smirks as he realizes he has Marcel right where he wants him. "I'll turn her into my personal witchy blood bag unless you tell me exactly where Caroline is right now."

* * *

Caroline wakes up, pulling herself up against her headboard, she glances around. Still stuck in her dinky little chamber. She gets up and walks over to the mirror over the sink, adjusting her hair. So far, New Orleans sucked. The door opens and she doesn't have time to glance around because she's being whisked over someone's shoulder and carried away.

"Let me go!" Caroline protests, though the wind is blowing too fast and she can barely see who it even is. Then they stop in an alleyway, her back against the wall, she stares into the blue eyes of Klaus. "You will not believe the day I've been having." She says with a smile. "I see you've made even more friends in New Orleans than Mystic Falls."

Klaus chuckles and he hugs her, the sweet smell of her vanilla scented skin and cherry blossom hair is infiltrating his senses as he tries to take all of her in. She seems surprised by the sudden burst of affection but nonetheless hugs him back. The sweet smell of mint and cologne fills her nostrils and she can't understand why she never did this sooner.

"You're safe, you're safe." He keeps whispering into her ear, then he lets go of her, to hold firmly onto her shoulders, "Why are you here, Caroline?" He asks.

"You told me you'd show me the world, remember? I thought, why not start with New Orleans?" Caroline says, then she looks away, "If anything this was kind of an impulse thing. Which I've really been starting to do a lot lately."

"Do you normally follow your impulses?"

There he was, asking questions about her again, good ol' Klaus, "So far I only follow them with you." Caroline admits sheepishly, her sleeping with him had been an impulse. Her standing right here had been an impulse.

Klaus's lips slowly curl into a smirk, then he puts his arm around her shoulders, "There's a lot of danger in New Orleans, love. I'm not certain if I'd want you around it. I can't afford to be selfish with you. You would be my one and only weakness, Caroline."

Caroline gets choked up, "I can leave." She says quietly.

"Don't be daft, you're under the protection of the Originals, love. Lets go see New Orleans, let me finally show you what the world has to offer."

He takes her to a little cupcake shop and Caroline decides the funniest picture of him would have to be him trying to devour a red velvet cupcake. She laughs at him and he loves her laugh.

He takes her to the boutiques and she nearly hits the floor. Caroline turns to him with the brightest smile a vampire could ever have. Klaus returns it wholeheartedly. This was all he had ever wanted.

He buys her a little blue dress. Caroline rolls her eyes, "Blue as always, huh?"

"It's my favorite." He admits to her.

She laughs.

He takes her back to his mansion, "Figure I ought to warn you. Rebekah and Elijah are here."

"Rebekah?"

"I know she's your absolute favorite."

"You don't know me as well as you thought." Caroline says, dropping her luggage in the entryway, "This is gorgeous." She gaps, spinning around the entry, "It's like something out of a Ryan Gosling movie."

Klaus rolls his eyes, "Are you going to talk about Ryan Gosling the entire time you're here?"

Caroline turns to look at him, "It'd be out of character if I didn't."

"Love, I'm afraid I have to ruin our fun, but there's someone you should know about."

Caroline closes her eyes, here it was, the other shoe dropping.

"Hayley, I'm sure you remember her, as you've probably had the urge to rip out her throat more times than I'd think to count." Klaus walks over towards Caroline, taking one of her hands in his, "She's holding my heir."

Caroline opens her eyes to look up at him, to realize he's being very serious and gentle with her, she nods, "That's great. For you, I mean, and the Originals. Elijah's always wanted a family right?" She can feel her anxiety building, "Now Rebekah can have some little kid to play dress up with and you.. you'll have your heir afterall."

Klaus lets his hand brush against her cheek, "Don't be down, love. You're the only one I want."

Caroline steps away from him, looking down, "This was a mistake."

"No, don't, don't do this. Don't shut down on me."

"No, you have your entire life here. An entire life, I can't factor into. You have a baby on the way, you're gauging a war between vampires and Originals and probably countless other supernatural creatures. I don't fit. I'm not even part of the same puzzle. Just, don't keep trying to jam me into your puzzle when I'm a completely different piece. I-I left college, for this, for.. I left college. I left everything I knew to come to some strange town and I get kidnapped within the first few minutes!" Caroline's anxiety is really starting to amp up so she starts nervously itching her wrists.

Klaus steps toward her, reaching for her arm, "Caroline.."

Caroline steps away from him, "No, don't."

"Love, you need to sleep it off, you've had a hard day. If you still want to leave in the morning, I'll take you to anywhere you want to go. Just don't make rash decisions when you're upset. I should have waited to tell you, love. It's quite the shock."

Caroline nods idly, "Sleep, yeah, that's what I need. Then I'll forget you impregnanted some... some werewolf chick, then what am I? Huh? Just some... sloppy seconds?"

Klaus shakes his head wildly, finally closing the distance between them, gripping her arm, "You are not sloppy seconds and do not ever call yourself that again. I've slept with various women throughout my life time-"

"Oh my god is this supposed to make me feel better-"

"Let me continue. But not one of them has made me happy, not one of them has made me happy like you've had." Klaus leans down to connect their foreheads, "I would move the sun and the stars for you, Caroline. If that would make you happy. I'm afraid I've been falling quite hard for you since my departure from Mystic Falls."

Caroline's cheeks heat up, "Oh my god I really am in a Ryan Gosling movie."

Klaus chuckles, "Now, head upstairs and go to bed, Caroline. You've had a long day."

Caroline nods, grabbing her luggage, she heads upstairs and finds the bathroom. She washes her hands and splashes cold water in her face.

_This is real, Caroline. Get your head in the game. _ She mentally chides herself.


	4. Chapter 4: The Witches

Caroline wakes up, going downstairs to see her favorite person of all time. Rebekah Mikaelson sitting in a chair facing precisely the direction Caroline just entered in.

Rebekah looks at Caroline, her lips curling up into a senile smile, "Well look what the cat dropped in. Don't tell me you're also harboring a Hybrid baby? Had quite enough of that, though I wouldn't put it past you considering your earlier... encounters, with my brother." Rebekah stands up, folding her arms over her chest, "Now Caroline, be so kind as to tell me what you're doing in New Orleans. Are you here to distract Niklaus so your gang of misfits can take us down again? Fortunately for you, we're over Mystic Falls."

Caroline rolls her eyes, "Wow, that's a lot of big words, especially for you Rebekah, New Orleans has obviously changed you for the better." She snarls back at her, "Why I'm here is none of your business."

"Actually, I think it is. It has to do with my family." Rebekah says, "It is completely my business. You are not going to tear down everything we have in New Orleans due to my brother's infatuation with you."

"I won't do that."

"Sure you won't. This isn't a Ryan Gosling movie, Caroline. This is the part where you turn around, and you go back to where you belong. The small town dripping with drama and teenage angst. You don't belong here, Caroline." Rebekah takes a step towards Caroline.

Caroline takes a step towards Rebekah also, "I-"

"Ladies, ladies! Now now, we mustn't fight over me, there's enough of me to go around." Klaus walks into the room with his arms spread wide open, "Now Rebekah, is that anyway to treat a guest?"

"You mean your new tramp?" Rebekah snaps with hate in her tone.

Then Rebekah is being thrown against the wall, Klaus's hand locked securely around her throat.

"You won't ever talk to or talk about Caroline in that matter ever again, do you understand me?" Klaus asks, feeling Rebekah's heart flutter like a terrified bird under his fingertips.

Caroline watches shakily, "Klaus." She says, her lips dry.

Klaus let's go of Rebekah, turning to look at Caroline, "I've frightened you." He walks over to her, taking her face in his hands, "Know that I will do anything to make sure you're safe in New Orleans, including your safety of mind. Our home is your home, do not let Rebekah run you out of it, love."

Caroline swallows hard, "Thank you."

Klaus smiles, lightly kissing her on the forehead.

Caroline was really beginning to miss home now.

* * *

She manages to escape, escaping back to that small little coffee shop she met Sophie in. She spots Sophie talking hurriedly with a black woman who scurries off after a few seconds. Sophie spots Caroline in a booth and happily sits across the aisle from her.

Sophie holds up her coffee cup, "I honestly need this. A caffeine fix seems to be the only solution to 1% of my problems." Sophie raises the cup to her lips, drinking greedily from it. She glances over her cup at Caroline, "What happened to ditching New Orleans? Did you find some hottie that convinced you to stay? That old friend of yours?"

Caroline shakes her head, smiling softly at her own warm cup, "Uh, nothing like that.. I mean, I don't really know. I'm really confused."

"Being torn between home and a new adventure is always going to be hard, Caroline." Sophie offers her a toothy smile, "I hope you stay in New Orleans. I could use a friend in this town."

Caroline shrugs nonchalantly, "I kind of hope I stay too. I just don't really have a place here. I've never felt like I didn't belong.. it's just now.."

"Now you've been caught with your pants down?"

Caroline laughs, "I guess you could say that."

Sophie stands up abruptly, "Come on then, let me show you what New Orleans has to offer other than amazing coffee."

Caroline looks at her, pursing her lips, "Hmm, following a stranger to an undisclosed location? .. Wouldn't be my worst idea." Caroline chirps, grabbing her coat and following Sophie out of the coffee shop.

Sophie pulls Caroline into an antique shop and shows her around. Caroline shrieks when Sophie tries to mockingly throw a vintage lamp at her. When the sun is about to kiss the horizon, Caroline and Sophie are happily eating ice cream and walking the streets of New Orleans.

"I feel like I have to tell you this, so you won't be in any danger." Sophie suddenly says, her eyes growing serious. As if they were an old woman's.

Caroline glances over at her mid-lick, she swallows hard, "You aren't going to tell me they have terrible booze, right?"

Sophie shakes her head, though she doesn't smile at her joke, "There's kind of a war going on here. So maybe you leaving New Orleans is a good idea. With you being a vampire and all."

Caroline chokes on her ice cream, "You know?!"

"I'm a Witch, Caroline, we're not the most oblivious species on earth." Sophie rolls her eyes, "But I like you, Caroline. I usually hate vampires, but you, I can make a special exception for."

"Well gee, thanks."

"You get what I mean." Sophie rolls her eyes, "Anyways, that's beside the point. The point is, there's war brewing, Marcel and his lackeys are starting a war against the witches. Not to mention they have Klaus now too-"

"Klaus?"

"Klaus Mikaelson, have you heard of him?"

Caroline freezes, she feels like everything goes in slow motion. She's trying to fight off the devil on her shoulder but she opens her lips to let the lie slide out, "No, I've only heard stories." Her lips are dry and cracked with her lies.

Sophie keeps going as if she hadn't noticed, "Well, Klaus is an Original right? Not to mention, also a Hybrid. So, pretty much impossible to kill. Marcel tried to overthrow Klaus, pretty medieval, right? Don't worry, it gets worse. So Klaus kills all of Marcel's guys except for a few that swore allegiance to Klaus." Sophie licks her ice cream cone, completely unaffected by the story. "So where do we come in, you ask?"

"Where do you come in?" Caroline mocks.

"Well, there's this thing, it's called the Harvest, we sacrifice these girls to keep our magic, but when we sacrifice all of the girls, we use that magic to resurrect them. The only problem is that Marcel crashed the Harvest, saved one of the girls, and now she's overflowing with the power we're supposed to use to resurrect the girls. Her name's Dephina by the way." Sophie is saying this so quickly Caroline can't believe she's spitting it all out to a random stranger. "So now, Dephina is tracking us every time we use our powers, so Marcel can come and.." Sophie runs her finger across her throat, making a rough noise.

"Then bye bye witches." Caroline finishes for her.

"Bye bye witches." Sophie affirms, "With Marcel in charge of Dephina, that means Klaus can control her too."

"So you guys are in a lot of danger then.. huh?"

"No kidding, not to mention, we aren't really looking like the winning side." Sophie throws her cone into a trashcan they pass by, "Plus, they also have Elijah and Rebekah. So that's two more Originals."

"Elijah?" Caroline asks quietly.

"Klaus's brother."

Caroline resists the urge to snap at her, but she hadn't even known Elijah was in New Orleans with Klaus. She glances over at Sophie, "New Orleans isn't as boring as I thought."

Sophie grimaces, "You aren't leaving, are you?"

"Definitely not."

* * *

When Caroline gets back to the house, Klaus is happily sketching away on his couch. Caroline sets her bag down and his face immediately lights up when he becomes aware of her presence.

"Caroline, what a lovely surprise." Klaus says, setting his sketchpad on the table, "What do I owe the honor?"

"Tell me about the witches." Caroline says instead, walking over to him and sitting on the table across from the couch. "You haven't been telling me everything."

Klaus sets a hand on her knee, "Did one of them threaten you?"

"No, of course not." Caroline's cheeks flame, "Tell me."

"What is there to know, love? They're annoying and selfish. It would be so much easier.. to be rid of them." Klaus shrugs, offering her a smirk, "It's just how business is done, love."

"So what, you wipe out an entire clan of witches and call it business?" Caroline presses.

"Yes."

"Normal people call it murder." Caroline snaps.

"Nothing you haven't done yourself, love."

Caroline's heart sinks when he brings it up. How dare he, what a cheapshot. She feels her heart land in the pit of her stomach and get burned up by the acids. He can tell he's struck a cord with her because he withdraws his hand from her knee. She was a hypocrite though, and she knew that.

"I actually did it to save someone. To save Bonnie." She says so softly he wouldn't have heard her if he wasn't a vampire.

Klaus props himself up on his knees, "You don't think I'm trying to save someone? Perhaps I'm trying to save this entire town of being ruled by witches."

"And you think ruling New Orleans via vampires is going to be any better? At least the witches don't.. use them for.. recreational purposes." Caroline's unsure how to word it, so she tries the best she can.

"Love, you really have so much to learn about being a vampire."

No kidding.


	5. Chapter 5: Celeste?

Caroline should leave, it would be the smart, sane, human thing to do. Even though she wasn't human, it was still the sane thing to do. This entire thing was madness, though when she checked her phone, it quickly proved her otherwise. Her friends had left nearly hundreds of, 'what's wrong with you Care' messages, along with a few, 'is it because of Tyler' messages. She turns off her phone, dismissing the idea just as quickly as it had came.

There's a soft knock at her door and she looks up as Hayley walks in.

"I'm sorry. I figured you didn't want to see me but I was.." Hayley trails off, not bothering to finish her sentence.

Caroline looks at the woman's bulging stomach, feeling slightly sick, "Curious." She finishes her sentence lamely.

Hayley nods, walking over to Caroline's bed, smiling softly, "Just so you know, you don't have to worry about me and Klaus. Ever."

"You guys are having a baby together, I should probably worry a little bit." Caroline says, folding her legs. "Not that it matters, the Klaus and I thing - probably not going to work out." Caroline laughs dryly. "I thought it would be such a good idea, to come here on a whim. But it's turned into more of a nightmare."

Hayley sits on Caroline's bed across from her, putting a hand on her knee, "Don't think that. I'm sure under all of his.. all of him.. there's a good decent man, and I think you've seen sparks of that."

Caroline looks up at Hayley, a soft smile on her lips, "Yeah, let's hope."

* * *

"I don't need babysitters!" Caroline snarls at Klaus. They're standing in the beautiful living room, Caroline with a hand clad on her hip as Klaus gets more and more frustrated by the minute by the baby vampire.

Klaus rolls his eyes, "Love, we're in the middle of a war - you've gone bloody mad if you think I'll let you waddle along out there by yourself!"

"I am perfectly capable of protecting myself, thank you!"

"Oh really? So you had the Marcel thing perfectly under control then, I gather?"

"Maybe if you actually told me you were in the middle of a war I would have!"

"Maybe you should have warned me before you came out here!"

Caroline runs a hand through her golden hair, "Even if I had you wouldn't have told me because then I wouldn't have came!"

Klaus glares at her, "Just remember, you wanted this, love, not me."

Caroline feels her heart jump in surprise, "So, you want me to leave then? Because I could easily do that. Pack my bags and go travelling because our little adventure in the forest didn't win any points with my friends."

"You told them?" Klaus asks, surprised.

Caroline rolls her eyes, "Don't act so surprised."

"But I am." Klaus takes a step towards her, "Why would you do that?"

Caroline's cheeks immediately flush, "The guilt was eating me alive."

Klaus looks down, darting out his tongue to wet his lips, "That so?"

"They wanted to know why I was leaving."

"This is getting more and more complicated by the second." Klaus says, running a hand through his hair. "I'm fighting a war, against my siblings, against Marcel, against the witches, then you come along. And I'm fighting a different kind of war."

Caroline looks up at him, "What kind?"

"The kind that keeps me from ravaging you right now."

If Caroline's cheeks weren't red before, they were near the color of blood. She knows he can hear her heart beating painfully against her ribcage. Beating like a small terrified hummingbird.

Caroline speaks through dry lips, "And how is that working out for you?" Short raspy breaths coming from her every so often.

"Not at all." Klaus closes the space between them, putting his hands on her jawline to pull her face to his, placing his mint flavored lips on her strawberry flavored ones. Her arms immediately latch around his neck and he wastes no time. He grabs her by the bottom of her thighs, pulling her up into the air, tying her legs around his waist. His lips move down to her neck and she gasps, feeling the warmth between her legs.

Klaus growls like an animal when he hears the soft little gasp Caroline allowed to escape, his lips returning to hers. She lightly bites on his lower lip and he crushes her against the wall, his hands roaming her body, up her shirt, up her skirt. Everywhere hands. Everywhere him. The smell of his cologne infiltrated her senses and left her dizzy. Only wanting more.

He stops all of a sudden and it leaves her feeling cold and alone.

"Elijah's home." Klaus immediately drops her, "We'll finish this later, love." He says with a wink, walking out of the living room.

Caroline takes the opportunity to grab her coat and leave.

Her ears are still ringing and her nostrils can still smell his cologne. His expensive french cologne. She walks down the street for sometime until she spots her friend, Sophie. She's about to turn around because the guilt is eating her alive again - tearing at her fragile creamy skin-

"Caroline!" Sophie calls out to her.

Caroline turns back around, offering a smile to Sophie, "Hey!"

"Looks like you stayed." Sophie says, "Your lipstick is a little smeared. I'm assuming you found that old friend of yours, huh?"

Caroline hastily rubs at the smeared lipstick, "Something like that. What have you been up to?"

"War." Sophie mischeviously says with a glint in her eyes. "With Marcel and Klaus seperated now's our only chance to get ahead of the game."

"What are you going to do?"

Sophie sighs, "Look, I like you Caroline, but the fact that you're a vampire isn't helping. So I can't actually tell you. I can tell you this though, Celeste, she's our elder witch, thinks she's found Klaus's weakness."

Caroline freezes in her tracks, "A weakness? Originals don't have weaknesses."

"There's one thing originals and everyone else has in common. Both have feelings. Even the all-mighty Klaus has a few under all of that armor. So Celeste thinks she found someone that Klaus would just about die for."

"Is that so?" Caroline asks weakly.

"Celeste said she was going to try to talk to whoever this is tonight."

"Talk?"

"Just talk, Caroline. No killing. We aren't vampires." Sophie pauses, realizing her mistake, "No offense or anything - I'm sorry, I'm not usually friends with vampires so this is new for me."

Caroline scoffs, "New for you? I walked right into a war zone."

"Sorry about that, you can leave whenever you want, before you get dragged in."

"I think it's too late for that." Caroline says so quietly Sophie couldn't have caught it. She looks over at Sophie, "Lets do some drinking. That does everyone some good."

Sophie nods, "Definitely, a drink is exactly what I need."

* * *

They sit at the bar stools and Caroline slams her shot glass down on the counter. "One more, I can handle it!" Caroline announces. The pretty bartender, Cami, pours another shot for her.

"Maybe you should slow down, girl." Cami says, "Want me to call you a cab after this one?"

Caroline shakes her head, "No way, I'm partying with my girl!" She nudges Sophie who has taken a nap on the counter.

"I think your girl has had enough for one night." Cami says, "After this, I'm cutting you off."

Caroline downs the shot as she says that, "Well there's no fun in that, Mom. Tell me, Cami." Caroline reads her name tag, "I'm genuinely curious, how's your love life? See, because mine, pffffff, I don't even know what's going on."

"Why's that?" Cami asks.

"Supposed to be a bad guy and all, but acts like a fluffy bunny around me - you know? Hurt a bunch of my friends, yet I still want to do the guy, how messed up is that? How messed up am I?" Caroline laughs and she hiccups.

Cami washes out Caroline's shot glass, "Well, has he ever hurt you?"

"Yup."

"Probably not worth the trouble then." Cami offers Caroline a sad smile, "Girl to girl, sounds like you have a parasitic relationship."

Caroline sighs, "I don't even think we can call it a relationship. It's like I flip a coin and that's how I feel about him for the day. Heads means that I think the guy's a total dream, tails means I fucking hate the guy and want to kill him on the spot." She puts her head on the counter, "Pffff, I don't know Cami."

"What side did the coin land today?" Cami asks.

"Heads." Caroline shakes her head, "But this conversation is making me regret that flip." Caroline pushes herself away from the counter, "I have to get going."

"Let me call you a cab!" Cami calls after Caroline as she stumbles out of the bar. Caroline offers her a small wave as she pulls out her cellphone. She dials Klaus's number but doesn't think she actually dialed his because an elderly woman answers. So she quickly hangs up.

"Caroline Forbes."

Caroline turns to see the black woman Sophie had been talking to only a day or so ago standing next to her. "Depends who's asking."

The woman smiles, "I'm Celeste."

Oh shit.


	6. Chapter 6: Solider Caroline?

"Celeste, huh?" Caroline asks, her fear bringing her back to sobriety.

"And you're Caroline, Caroline Forbes." Celeste speaks slowly, taking a step towards Caroline.

Caroline takes a step back, "What do you want?"

"To talk."

"That so? Well, let's talk then." Caroline crosses her arms over her chest.

Celeste stops moving towards her, "I know you're friends with Sophie. I know it would just crush Sophie if she learned about you and Klaus. I know you two aren't that close, but Sophie, once she starts to get close to someone, there's not really a way to stop her. Puts her trust in all of the wrong places. Trusting a vampire, granted, it's a new feat for her. Though once she learns about this, she'll be sure to never make that mistake again."

Caroline turns to Celeste, "So what? You came here to what? Threaten me? Threaten Klaus? Well I'm sorry to ruin the big surprise, but there's nothing going on between Klaus and I that would raise any alarms, even in your little witchy clan."

Celeste smiles kindly at Caroline, "That's where you're wrong."

"Huh." Caroline scoffs with disbelief, "What exactly do you want from me Celeste?"

"Your help. I want you to stop this war between the witches and the vampires."

Caroline turns to her, disbelief in her eyes, "Wow, I think you really don't know me at all. See, I don't care about this little war you guys are playing at. I mean what, you have witches, vampires, werewolves? This whole paranormal freakshow - well listen here, I'm not having any part of this. I will be the peaceful party that doesn't go to the freakshow. No war for Caroline."

Celeste starts laughing, "Oh you poor thing, you don't get it. You're already in this. You were in this the minute you crossed the New Orleans city line."

"Oh, am I? What do you want me to do Celeste? I'm not a solider."

"But you could be one. For the sake of every human being in this city." Celeste hands Caroline a stake, that's oddly shaped in what could be percieved as a crescent moon. She puts it in Caroline's hand and clasps her fingers around the stake, "I want you to put this into Klaus Mikaelson's heart."

* * *

Caroline gets home with the stake still burning a hole in her hand. She goes upstairs to Klaus's room, knocking lightly on the door. She sees a light flicker on in his room and he looks visibly relieved when he sees her.

"Where did you go?" Klaus asks, "I thought-"

Caroline pushes him aside, walking into his room, "Well you thought wrong. You're not sticking me with babysitters. Anyways, that's not why I'm here-"

A slow seductive smirk forms on Klaus's lips, "Then what are you here for, love?" He asks, his voice low and seductive.

Caroline holds out the stake to him, "Apparently I'm in this too now."

Klaus takes the stake from her slowly, as if he was afraid she was going to stake him at any moment if he moved in the wrong way. "Who gave you this?"

"Some witch named Celeste." Caroline says, "She wanted me to stake you."

Klaus looks up at Caroline, "You're in much more danger than I thought." He grabs her by the arm and leads her out of his room. Walking down the winding corridors, he stops in front of a door and knocks impatiently, "Elijah! ELIJAH!"

Elijah answers the door grudgingly, "There better be a good reason for your incessant knocking at this time of night -" He opens the door, "Ah, hello sweet Caroline, I see you've found yourself in New Orleans."

"Yeah yeah, you two have already met we're skipping the introductions." Klaus holds out the stake, "Your dear friend Celeste found Caroline and instructed her to put this through my heart."

"Caroline obviously didn't listen." Elijah takes the stake from Klaus, flipping it between his fingers, "At least now we know she can be trusted. Thank you for that, Caroline. Though now you're in greater danger than I could have feared upon hearing your arrival. Did she say anything else to you?"

"She wants me to help stop the war." Caroline says quietly.

"The witches are putting their faith in a baby vampire now, must be more desperate than we thought." Rebekah announces from behind them.

Elijah looks at Rebekah, "Did we wake you?"

"I could smell the plot twisting, couldn't quite sleep." Rebekah walks over to the three, "I see you've put my family in danger once more just by your presence. It's as if we never left Mystic Falls."

"Stop being so daft, Rebekah. I have a plan." Elijah says. "The witches, they want you to work with them, so that's what you'll do."

Caroline's eyes widen, "W-What?"

"No, no, NO!" Klaus shouts, "We aren't putting Caroline anywhere near those nasty-"

"Niklaus, please, calm down." Elijah says. "Do not let your feelings cloud your judgement. We finally have an advantage in the war!"

"We have Dephina-" Klaus protests.

"Who has only just resurrected after Celeste drained her powers and after you kept her in captivity for who knows how long-" Rebekah protests, "Can't we leave the poor girl alone?"

Elijah looks away, "We'll leave Dephina to rest for now. Otherwise, when she is willing to help us, she will do so."

"What if she's not willing?" Rebekah asks.

"I'll convince her." Elijah supplies.

* * *

Caroline can't sleep. She's thinking too much. She gets out of bed, finding Klaus's booze collection and drinking herself into a stupor. He finds her only a few minutes after cracking open the first bottle.

"Can't sleep, love?"

Caroline shakes her head, not bothering to look up at him. "For some stupid reason, I thought New Orleans would be different from Mystic Falls."

Klaus sits next to her on the couch, taking the scotch out of her hands, "I think you've had too much to drink."

"I actually, don't think I've had enough." Caroline pulls her knees up to her chin, "What's the deal with Celeste and Elijah, by the way?"

"Old lovers, isn't that always the story with him?" Klaus laughs, taking a swig of the scotch, "Elijah always falls in love too fast, his fatal flaw. I've made sure to never make that kind of mistake."

"So, you just ward everyone away then?"

"Ouch, love." Klaus says, "I suppose you could make that assumption.. in much lighter terms. I simply don't allow people to get too close."

Caroline looks over at him, feeling her heart sink, "You're afraid of someone hurting you. Like all those girls that hurt Elijah."

Klaus takes a big swig of the scotch, "Don't be so daft, love. I'm hardly that cliché or sensitive."

Caroline sits up a bit, "Then what are you?"

"Excuse me?"

"Well, what are you then?" Caroline asks, "Mean, bitter, cold, lonely - all of the above?"

"A sharp tongue."

Caroline leans back, "If you don't allow anyone to get close, then you end up alone, forever. Do you really want that?" She presses, "No one to love you, no one to care if you died right this minute?"

"You've definitely had too much to drink, love." He sets the scotch down, standing up.

Caroline stands up as well, "I would care, if you died, I mean." She admits, blushing, "So, don't lock yourself away, okay?"

Klaus looks at her intensely, his eyes boring into hers, "You barely know me, love, or what I'm capable of. I'm the devil in disguise, and this admission could be your fall from grace. I'm a monster, I've killed thousands, maybe even millions - and you can forgive that so easily? You expect me to believe you don't look at me with disgust?"

"Maybe if you ever let me get close instead of pushing me away all the time, you'd know." Caroline snaps at him.

Klaus storms out of the room, only to storm back in, "Listen here, love. I don't need you to be close to me to know that you are disgusted by the very thought of me. So much so, you had to leave Mystic Falls."

"I didn't leave Mystic Falls because I was disgusted by you. I came here, to find _you_. Does that not say anything?"

"If anything, it says you're ashamed."

"I am not ashamed!" Caroline shouts at him. The entire room goes silent, "See, there it is, out in the open. I'm not ashamed. I pretended to feel guilty about it - but I don't. I don't feel guilty at all, and I feel guilty for not feeling guilty - do you get that? I don't regret it, not one bit, not at all."

Klaus grabs her and kisses her. His hands quickly travelling up her shirt, taking it off in a swift movement. She does the same, taking off his shirt with ease. His warm flesh presses against hers as they battle for dominance.

"Best we not do this here, love." He growls into her hair.

She nods, agreeing. They work their way up to Klaus's room, slamming her against the wall every so often when the passion got to be too much for either of them. They finally made it to Klaus's room, Klaus dropping her onto his bed as if she was a feather.

His lips work at her neck, pulling, teasing, nipping. Her hands drawing circles on his back, which later turned into horizontal lines when she would claw at him.

His name was screamed through the night.


End file.
